Hat 8166 French Line Grenadiers 1805-1812

During the revolutionary wars (1792-1799) and - especially - in the Napoleonic period (1799-1815), France probably had the most efficient war machine on the Old Continent, which almost led to its lasting hegemony over Europe. It will be a truism to say that the key element of this machine was the French army. In that army, on the other hand, a very important role was played by the line infantry, the elite of which were grenadiers. They were recruited from the strongest and best-built soldiers, and efforts were made (at least until 1812) to also include soldiers with combat experience. They enjoyed the greatest prestige in their battalions. On the battlefield, they were used as the head of a shock column, as they were the main strike force of their battalion. Less often they were used as the last company in the column, which was to push the fusiliers forward to attack. In accordance with the changes introduced by Napoleon in 1803, the French line infantry battalion consisted of 9 companies, one of which was a former grenadier and numbered from 80 to 90 men. On the other hand, from 1808, there were only six infantry companies in the battalion, one of which was grenadier and numbered 140 people. The basic armament of the French grenadier was the model 1777 or AN IX rifle with a length of 1.52 meters and a caliber of 15.5 to 17.5 mm. There was also a bayonet.